


You're Not A Fanboy Anymore

by 128mega



Category: Fanboy & Chum Chum (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Anxiety, Depression, Epiphanies, Gen, Isolation, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:10:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26380129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/128mega/pseuds/128mega
Summary: Tobias Cranapple III, previously known as Fanboy, is in a rut until inspired to dawn the cape and cowl again under a new, more appropriate name for his age; Fanman.
Kudos: 12





	1. The Dark Fanatic

It was a lovely day in Galaxy Hills, with cool breezy winds and chirping birds; the works of a nice day. It was a perfect day for a nerdy comic book worm to stay inside and read lame comic books. Oz is sat at the front counter of his comic shop, feet kicked up, posture lax, quietly reading a comic with scrutiny. He had spent a good long time living in Galaxy Hills, running his comic shop as he watched the word change around him, and as he watched people grow up alongside him. He felt his most fondest memories were that of mentoring the future heroes of the city.

As he paged through his comic, Oz scowled with a huff. "...Seriously?" He said to himself, " What a lame comic. Can't even call this thing a comic, it's more like stabled together toilet paper with dookie smeared on it." Tossing the seemingly lame comic on the counter, Oz sat back, looking somewhat defeated by the book. He looked up at the ceiling with a huff.

"All these heroes suck." He spoke aloud once more to himself as he pulled at one side of his kinked moustache, "What happened to all the cool ones?... oh yeah, they all sold out or retired…" he recalled, shaking his head. Oz's expression suddenly perked a little; something about the self-discussion of heroes seemingly causing something to occur to him.

"Shesh…" he muttered, "I haven't seen Toby in a few days… or a few weeks. He hasn't even come by to bum Chinese food off of me… and when I see him he hasn't even been dressing up like Fanboy." Oz looked visibly frightened, clearly feeling thoroughly perturbed by the absence of his former apprentice. He scratched his head, leaning forward on the counter.

"Weird… as long as I've known him, he's said he wanted to be a superhero when he hit adulthood…" Oz threw himself off with his own statement, had it really been that long since the superfan's childhood? "he's like...what… almost 22 now? And he's just been hiding himself in the Fanlair day and night…" setting his hands on the counter, Oz stood up with determination. "I need to check on him."

Oz stood in front of the main door of the Fanlair, picking up on some faintly playing somber music coming from inside. Oz winces; seriously? Radiohead? Visually concerned, he knocked on the door. He stood still for a moment, finally hearing the music shut off and stirring inside and heavy thumping footsteps, growing slowly louder as they approached the door. The door opened, and there stood Tobias Cranapple III, draped in a blanket except from the knees down. His face was semi visible from the hood he created with the blanket, expression was dull and emotionless. He stood there, staring at Oz as Oz stared back with an expression of concern.

"Toby…"

"What? I'm sleeping."

"Dude, it's 3pm. You shouldn't be sleeping right now."

"As a matter of fact, Oz, I am sleeping at EVERY hour. Ok?"

Oz was taken aback by how Tobias's tone bit at him viciously, "...Every Hour?... Tobe… are you feeling ok?"

"Am I feeling ok?...psh" Tobias rolled his eyes, "… what do you care?"

"What do I care?!"

"Yeah, what do you care?!"

Tobias was clearly getting progressively more aggravated with Oz, despite the only thing he was doing was going to check up on him. "Dude, what's going on with you?" Oz asked with outrage in his tone, "I haven't seen you in so long and I'm getting a little concerned-"

"Wow, you feel concerned for me?" Tobias suddenly interrupted, his tone becoming mockingly coy, "I didn't know you were capable of empathy!"

Oz was thoroughly taken aback and offended by Tobias' rude behavior, never expecting someone like him to lash out so violently. "Toby, I know you don't Mean to be rude-"

"What makes you think that, hu?" Tobias interjected once again, his body language starting to get more standoffish. "Are you Mr.Omniscient all of a sudden? How would you know I don't mean to be acting like this? I know! It’s cause 'oh I'm little innocent Fanboy! I have so many friends and aspirations and my future's gonna be so bright and happy!!!!' Well you know what, Ozwald???"

Tobias took a step forward, easily towering his taller, growth-spurted body over the shorter Oz. "Shit doesn't Work out like you think it does, ok???" He blurted, becoming uncharacteristically vulgar,"Shit just doesn't happen! The people you knew and loved for so long just get up and leave and they let you straggle behind with a flat tire! They don't care if you're not along for their ride! They won't stay and support your dream cause they're too busy trying to get a masters in political science or-or-or-or graduate and become the most powerful wizard of all!" As Tobias spoke, the blanket draped around his body began to fall off of his body, exposing his unkempt, hairy-ish body, only dressed in a pair of boxer shorts. "They just leave you with crushed aspirations! They don't Care, Oz. No one cares! You don't even really care! All you care about is me not dying on your property, that's why you came to check on me!"

Oz could only blink and stare on with an expression of grief. Tears began to prick at the corners of his eyes."You're not making any sense, kid! You-"

"I AM NOT A KID!"

Tobias suddenly retracted his fist, causing Oz to step back with a flinch, genuinely believing he was about to get clocked in the face. Tobias was just frozen with his drawn back fist as if frozen in time. Suddenly, he let the punch go, merely flying in front of Oz's face before making contact with the front door with an alrighty thunk, causing it to rattle on its hinges. Oz slowly ceased from his flinch as Tobias slowly lowered his fist, looking down in shame with labored, exacerbated breathing. Sighing, Tobias simply turned and walked back into the Fanlair, closing the door behind himself and leaving Oz alone in front of the door once again.

Oz took a moment to compose himself after what had just transpired, then reached and opened the door slowly, light pouring into the heavily disheveled, dimly lit Fanlair interior. The light of the outdoors hit a nearby sofa, where Tobias was sitting with his back facing the doorway, draped in his blanket once again. Oz slowly approached Tobias from behind, extending his hand out to touch his shoulder. As Oz made contact with the aged Superfan, Tobias's body began to tremble, and he began emitting quiet, pathetic whimpers. He grasped at his head with a shaky huff, tightly gripping at his scraggly, grown out hair.

"...Toby…" Oz murmured, making a conscious effort to sound sympathetic and concerned, "you need to talk to me. There's something clearly seriously wrong here. This isn't like you at all… you're not the little hero I remember."

Tobias remained silent for a moment, then finally spoke.

"... I'm abandoned."

"...abandoned?"

"Left behind, stranded, marooned, orphaned, benign, strone away… big words, I know… I found a thesaurus in the closet... all my pals… my friends, the people I love… they all went off to have lives… they have life plans, and work to do… they have jobs, families, dreams… and what do I have?" Tobias asked, lifting his head and staring forward to the wall, "I have the same old water tower I've lived in for most of my life… an empty bed next to mine, piled up with boxes and junk… picture frames full of windows to the past… and a ratty old suit I wore every day… souvenirs of better times."

Tobias turned to face Oz, his expression was forlorn and his eyes were thoroughly moistened and twinkling with tears.

"I know…" Tobias sighed, turning back and hugging his knees to his chest, "I know that… ole Chum Chum still loves me, and he misses me just as much as I miss him, I think… and, all of my other friends for that matter, hopefully, but… with no one physically around, it's just so isolated. Ever since Chum left for higher education, I haven't had the energy to do anything… I've lost my... passion."

Oz nodded with everything Tobias said, his expression serious and grim; he had a very morbid understanding of what his younger friend was going through.

"Tobe, I get it…" Oz stated calmly, "I know this may be hard for you to believe, but I was once just like you are now."

Tobias' expression shifted to that of forlorn, somewhat sarcastic surprise.

"...really?"

"Indeed… I was a young man once, in my early 20's. I had my own group of friends, and we all shared an interest in superheroes and comics and collectables. As the years dragged on, and as elementary school turned to middle school, then to highschool, everyone's interests and dreams began to diverge. Eventually, by graduation, I was alone. All of my friends got Jobs, Families, Lives… sound familiar?"

Tobias simply nodded.

"Much like you, I drowned my sorrows in sleep, impulse buying, and Chinese food. I was so depressed I couldn't even think to pick up a comic, in fact; I associated it with all the friendship I lost, it was too painful…" Oz looked pained to recall his feelings, tugging a bit on the sleeves of his leather jacket, "then I realized something. The very thing that was tearing me down then, was the same thing that lifted me up before. You know what I did?" He asked, "I reclaimed my love for the superhero by divorcing it from who I associated it with. It was difficult, but I only focused on how it made ME feel, not how it made US feel, as a group of friends. What did it mean to me? The first comic I read independently was the most liberating experience I have had in my adult life."

Oz placed both of his hands on Tobias' shoulders, staring at him intently.

"I know what your pain is, Tobias; it's Fanboy. The pride and joy you portrayed for so many years, you felt was abandoned like how you were. Your friends didn't Leave Tobias Cranapple III, They left Fanboy. You've stripped yourself of Fanboy, yet you still feel the scorn... I need you to do something, my young ward."

Oz Turned around and spotted the old, tattered Fanboy cowel draped on the back of a nearby chair, raggedy and less shiny as it was in its days of glory. He went over and retrieved it from where it was draped over the back of a chair, coming back and presenting it to Tobias.

"Take back what is rightfully yours to make you happy, Toby. This costume, and what it means to wear it, is your Destiny."

Tobias reluctantly took the cowel with shaking hands, light tears running down his cheeks as he stared at it, grasping it hard in his clenched hands.

"... I need to feel… how this costume made me happy...me...me… but… if I do… am I not allowed to let my friends enjoy it too?" Tobias asked cautiously.

"You have the rare luxury of being on good terms with your estranged friends, or so I think… plus, Tobe, even though they're gone, doesn't mean they hate you. They just have lives to fulfill, just like how you do… so… are you going to fulfill yours?" Oz asked, crossing his arms with a determined expression.

Tobias stared between Oz and his old cowell. After a moment of deliberation, Tobias closed his eyes with a deep breath, bowed his head, took the trashy cowel and slowly slid it onto his head. He lifted his head slowly, keeping his eyes closed for a brief moment. The pressure around his head and the familiar feeling of the fabric around his head caused a flood of memories to come back to him; shenanigans with Chum Chum, bothering Kyle, sitting in Mr. Mufflin's classroom… everything came back in a split second. Tobias finally opened his eyes again, like magic, his heart began to beat against his chest as serotonin began coursing through his body. Tobias felt chills up and down his body, His hand began to shake as he held his cheeks, tears coursing down his already damp face, dampening the fabric of his cowel.

"...Wooaah… "

Oz smirked, recognizing an emotional epiphany when he saw one; he's gotten through to Tobias "Congratulations, little buddy."

"I'm…" Tobias gulped, wiping his eyes with his arm, "this Is what I'm meant to do… this is what will keep me going… i-i'm… Fanboy.

"No, Tobias."

Tobias' heart sank suddenly, frowning. "N-no?..." he asked meekly.

Oz shook his head.

"You're not a Fanboy anymore… you're…" Oz paused for drama, lifting his hands as he gestured to Tobias, "...a Fanman."

It was almost as if triumphant brass fanfare played in Tobias's head in that moment. He had an epiphany, the realization hitting him like a bullet train, slowly standing with an expression of disbelief.

"...I am… that's it…" Tobias gulped, "i-im not a Fanboy anymore, I'm-...I'm Fanman…"

His expression slowly grew excited, he began bouncing while flailing his arms. It all of a sudden looked as if he didn't age a day.

"That's it! I'm Fanman! I'm Fanman! I'm Fanman, Oz!"

Tobias suddenly came in to give Oz a tight hug, the might behind it causing Oz to stumble back a bit. He smiled, patting the younger man's back with a chuckle.

"Oz, thank you sooooo much!!! I really needed your words, I don't know why I didn't come to you first! You really do know everything!" Tobias began to fall into hysterics as he progressively grew more emotional. "Y-you're so wise and-...s-so nice… you've always been so cool to me and Chum and.. Everyone else… y-you know, you've always been like a dad to me-"

Tobias' statement made Oz step back suddenly in shock, turning away swiftly, causing Tobias to get cut off. He took in a deep breath and sighed, not outwardly having any real reaction, but his heart was bursting with joy on the inside. In that moment, Oz wanted to tell Tobias that he always felt like a son to him, but didn't want to give up his stoic, all knowing persona. He spoke with his usual tone, not giving any indication he was touched by Tobias' words other than by his obscured facial expression.

"I think my work here is done, Tobias." He stated plainly, still showing Tobias his back, "Come by the shop tonight and I'll get us some General Tso Chicken delivered. Your favorite, right?... well, it's mine but… whatever. We can discuss Fanman then."

Tobias nodded, respecting the distance of his mentor. "S-sure, I understand! Thank you… Oz, I appreciate all that you've done for me."

"... I appreciate you too, Tobias. I'll be seeing you later."

Oz turned towards the door and swiftly left the Fanlair, unintentionally slamming the door behind him in his unseen nerve, Leaving Tobias with a whole myriad of thoughts to pool over.

As Oz made his way down the steps of the Fanlair, tears slowly began streaming down his face as he began to lose his composure, feeling a mix of pride and joy. As he entered the lobby of his shop, he let it all out. "O-oh my g-go-o-od... I'm a dad to him…" he weeped to himself, hiding his face in his hands. He couldn't have felt more happy in that moment. His pride for Tobias was almost palpable, and he was overjoyed to know how grateful his young protege was to him. Oz also felt an overwhelming sense of relief for Tobias, happy to have helped him find the Fanman inside of him.

They still had some work to do, however. They would start over a nice chinese food dinner.


	2. A Chat Over Take-out.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobias and Oz discuss his training over a nice dinner of Chinese take-out.

"I'm pleased to see you're committing to heroism, Toby. Take a seat." Oz said to Tobias, gesturing to a chair across the table from him. After taking the rest of the day considering a career in vigilante justice and taking into account what it would mean for his life, Tobias decided to take Oz up on his offer for dinner to discuss his training. He stood at the doorway of Oz's kitchen, looking towards the table he was sitting at and analyzing the styrofoam take-out boxes and sauce packets strone about the surface. Oz furrowed his brow to Tobias, "...are you just gonna stand there? C'mon, your noodles are gonna get cold." The older man advised, pointing to a take-out box set in front of the empty seat.

"Oh, yeah, sorry…" Tobias answered, sounding as if he were too distracted by his thought to form more full phrases. He pulled the chair back and took a seat, scooting forward as he picked up a clear pack full of plastic cutlery off of the table. Opening the pack, Tobias took out the cheap plasticware and set it on the table next to the take out box. He pulled the top up from the box, hinging it back and examining its contents; some stir-fried chicken and vegetables with noodles on the side. "Ahah, a meal for kings." Tobias remarked lightheartedly as he stuck a piece of chicken with his plastic fork.

Oz snickered with the shake of his head. "I thought sugary cereals were the meal for kings." He replied as he carefully opened up a packet of soy sauce, drizzling it over his rice before sifting the rice around with his fork to distribute it evenly. 

Shoveling noodles into his mouth, Tobias shook his head. "Nuh…" he mumbled before chewing and swallowing his food, "Actually, Oz, that's the breakfast of champions. It's a common misconception, though, so don't feel bad." Tobias explained, his conviction and confident tone implying his vast knowledge on the subject of food hierarchies. 

With a chuckle, Oz nodded in understanding. "You haven't changed a bit, Tobe. You're a Fanboy at heart, but a Fanman in body." He remarked before taking a bite of his own food.

"Right, yeah. So… about the whole Fanman thing. How, uh… how do I start my training?" Tobias asked, nervously fidgeting with the drawstrings of his hoodie. Despite feeling confident in his decision to pick up the cape and cowl again, he still felt an abundance of nerves about going pro. A majority of his childhood was spent reading comics about heroes and aspiring to be just like who he read about, but Tobias still couldn't help but have doubts in his ability. 

"Your training… Hm… " Oz repeated his apprentice, tapping on his chin as he contemplated. With a hum, he gave Tobias a nod. "Right. First and foremost, I think you need to hone your power of choice." 

Tobias blinked, bewildered. "My power of choice?" He asked, crossing his arms as he slouched in his chair, "what even is my power of choice?... I don't think I'm even power-abled." 

"Not to worry." Oz stated simply, "there are many superheroes who lack conventional superpowers. In lieu of superpowers, they rely on their physicality."

"...meaniiiing?"

"... meaning they're good fighters, or perhaps they rely on an arsenal of gadgetry."

Tobias blinked as he scratched at his scalp, pondering Oz's words. "...gadgetry, Hm?" He murmured, "well… you know, I do a little dabbling in… uh… making things? You know, I made a… uh… a little robot out of a shoebox and some spare parts from the dump. All it could do was walk around and bump into walls, but…" Tobias let out an annoyed sigh, sulking further. "Uhg, I can't do this. If I rely on my lame technology, and it fails, I'm not even physically strong enough to defend myself!"

Oz listened intently to Tobias's concerns, nodding as he swallowed his mouthful of Chinese food. "This is why you need to train, Tobe. You're talking like you have to be a hero by tomorrow."

Tobias simply huffed, leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table as he held his head in his hands. "I just feel like there's so much pressure on me to succeed. I don't wanna blow this."

"You won't." Oz insisted, "I'm going to make you the best superhero to ever stroll the streets of galaxy hills. Count on it, Toby." He stated confidently, gesturing to his apprentice with conviction. 

Oz's promise filled Tobias with a sense of confidence and hope, trusting his word sincerely. "Thanks, Oz. You read more comic books than anyone I've ever known, I'm glad I've got someone so well-learned coaching me… but… well…" he rubbed his arm, letting out an awkward laugh, "... you're not exactly, uh… a superhero yourself."

"The coaches don't play, Toby." Oz replied, his tone heavy with offense. "Look," he said, digging into his pocket and pulling out a piece of folded up paper, "I wrote you a checklist. It's your timeline for what you have to do before hitting the streets." Oz explained, extending his arm to hand Tobias the note.

Taking the paper, Tobias unfolded it and examined what was written on it. "...the first step is… research?" He asked, perplexed by the instruction.

"That's right. Take a look at some different kind of superheroes, take note of how they function and what they do to save the day. Take inspiration from them too, hero techniques are public domain. With that said, though, you should still have at least one signature move."

Tobias nodded, scanning the next few steps as Oz began to dictate them aloud.

"The next step is to train your body. Keeping in mind the heroes you've researched, train yourself based on what kind of techniques you'd like to perform. For instance…" Oz scanned Tobias with a scrutinizing gaze, "...maybe work out your arms, they're kinda scrawny. Work on your gadgetry too, it could save your life if you're in a pinch."

Tobias hummed quietly, turning his posture to be more introverted, suddenly feeling insecure about his body. "...yeah, I guess I could try lifting some weights." Tobias figured, squeezing at his arms, coming to terms with his need to work out.

"Thirdly, after making sure your body is in top physical form for your skill set, practice those skills." Oz explained, stabbing a piece of chicken with his fork and gesturing to Tobias with his screwed food, "and even after you think you're ready for action, keep practicing. You wanna keep your reflexes sharp." He stated before biting off the piece of chicken from his fork.

Tobias nodded, "ok, ok… and this last step…" he winced a bit as he stared at the last part of the list, seeming dissatisfied with the prospect of completing it. "...I have to… make my own costume?"

"Indeed." Oz replied after swallowing his stir-fry.

"Like… sew one?"

"Mhm."

"But...I don't know how to sew!" Tobias argued, "can't I just pay someone to make it for me or… or pull some different clothes together to make a costume?"

"No can do." Oz replied.

"But whyyyy?" Tobias argued in disdain, lifting his arms up to accentuate his distress.

"The costume makes the hero, Toby. It's your identity, your image; it's an extension of you. You have to go and hand pick each material for your specific needs as a superhero. With something that important, you'll want to make it your own. If you have someone else make it for you, it would never truly be yours. Only the best superheroes make their own costumes, Toby." Oz explained, prodding at his food with his fork.

"...that makes… no sense." Tobias replied, "it's just a costume."

"Well, if it's just a costume, then would you feel comfortable going out to fight crime in your civvies?" Oz questioned. 

Wanting to say yes in response out of spite, Tobias couldn't Help but feel put off from the concept of doing superhero stuff in his normal clothes. "...well, uh… I guess that would be a little weird."

"If you don't have a unique costume, you won't have your own brand as a hero. If Man Arctica didn't have his iconic garb, he wouldn't be as memorable. Who's gonna remember this scraggly guy going around in a t-shirt and cargo pants?"

"Mh… yeeaah… that's a good point."

"So?..."

Tobias let out a huff. "Look, I'll…mh… when the time comes, I think I'll be ready to make my own costume. He answered reluctantly, not too keen on the prospect of sewing. "I'll have to do it by hand."

"Nah, my mother's got a sewing machine you can use. You just gotta bring the material." Oz offered.

"Alright…" Giving the list another once over, Tobias folded it back up and stuffed it into the front pocket of his hoodie. "I'll start tomorrow by looking over my old comic books, see what kind of, uh, techniques I can pick up." He explained, picking up some noodles on his fork, "thanks for dinner by the way."

"It's no problem, my not-so-young ward." Oz stated, lifting up a fork full of chicken. "I propose a toast, Toby. To Fanman." He announced joyously. 

Tobias cracked a smile at Oz's bizarre call for a toast, getting a fork full of noodles and lifting it up as well. "For Fanman." He agreed.

The two tapped their forks together with a laugh, retracting them and eating the food off of them thereafter.

…

Sitting up with crossed legs on his bed, the lamp on his bedside table providing his only source of light, Tobias pooled over numerous comic books, all strewn messily around his bed. Book after book, he paged through the chapters and analyzed any superhero he could find, paying careful attention to their techniques and arsenal of powers and gadgets they had. "...what kind of hero do I want to be?" He wondered aloud as he analyzed the illustrations before him, "...what kind of hero…"

As Tobias reached the end of the comic book he was holding, he grunted as he cast it aside onto his bed. "That's like… the millionth book!" He exclaimed to himself, the reality of the situation being that it was only the 27th book. With disdain, he reached for the top of his stack of comic books and grabbed the next one, a fairly heftier one titled 'The Gadgeteer'. "Hm…" Tobias hummed, raising his eyebrow in intrigue at the book. He examined the hero illustrated on the cover, a somewhat slender, yet fairly built, man in a typical skin tight suit, with padding on his shoulder, elbows, and knees and a fairly hefty utility belt around his waist. "Promising…" he said as he cracked the book open to a random page, analyzing it to see if he could find anything useful.

Tobias witnessed the main character, The Gadgeteer himself, slumped over a work table. He was tinkering with what looked to be throwing stars, that seemed to have some kind of heat seeking technology. "Huh…" Tobias took note, then continued on. Turning a few pages, he witnessed the hero in action, falling off of a tall building after being pushed off by a villain character. The Gadgeteer pressed a central button on his utility belt, then a secondary button on the right side. A small door opened on the belt, and a grappling hook shot out of the compartment and constricted around a pole jutting out from the side of the building. 

Nodding, Tobias scratched at his sparsely hairy chin, "That's a smart idea…" he remarked, flipping forward again. He witnessed The Gadgeteer taking on the villain character in hand to hand combat. Tobias took note of the hero's physical ability, his punching and kicking and jumping. "Impressive…" Tobias thought, "inspiring, even."

Closing the comic book, Tobias set it on his bedside table for safe keeping, deciding to refer to it during his training. He began to shove all the other discarded books off of the bed, settling down comfortably in his bed once it was cleared off. As he waited for sleep to take over, Tobias stared up to the ceiling, considering how he could put a Fanman twist to what he planned to base himself on. Sure, most superhero techniques are public domain like Oz said, but Tobias was very much determined to be his own man; his own Fanman.


	3. The Daily Jog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a chat on the phone with Chum Chum, Tobias goes on his daily jog. he's happily going about his business, when suddenly...

"...Fifteen… Sixteen… Se-Se-...Seventeeeeen…Eight-...E-Eighteeeeeen…!!! "

In a clearing in front of his couch in the living area, Tobias rested stomach down on the floor with his palms planted firmly on the wooden floor, his breathing somewhat labored. Every morning since the beginning of his training, He's been committed to doing at least five push-ups. Doing so has been easier every day for Tobias, yet still was somewhat laborious for the adult fanatic. He was on the verge of hitting twenty, and wanted to go even further, but he could feel his energy quickly deplete as his arms began to shake under the pressure. He remained still on the floor, taking heavy, concentrated breaths in order to regain stamina. "...just… a little more…" he grunted softly to himself in a form of self-motivation, "just… get to twenty five… you can do it Tobe."

With an almighty groan, Tobias heaved his body upward once again, continuing to diligently push his body up and down with his arms.

"Nineteen… Twenty… Twenty one...Twenty Twoooo… Twenty...Threeee… Gah-... Twenty F-Four…"

Tobias breathed hard out of his nose, grunting hard as he did his twenty fifth push-up.

" _TWENTY FIIIIIVE!!!_ " He cried in manly triumph, giving the ground a celebratory punch before hopping up to his feet. He shook his hand, it pulsing with pain from where he punched the floor. "Youch…" he murmured with a sigh, "I need to bring my pain tolerance up."

Walking up to a dry-erase calendar on the wall, Tobias took out a dry-erase marker from its holder on the calendar and wrote '25 pushups' on the Thursday square, with the day squares preceding decreasing by 5. Putting the marker back, Tobias stepped back and admired the board, feeling proud of his progress through the past few days. His admiration was suddenly interrupted by a vibrating sensation in his pocket. Jumping slightly in surprise, he dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone, looking to see that he was getting a call from none other than his long-time pal Chum Chum. Serotonin coursed through Tobias's veins, quickly accepting the call and putting the phone up to his ear.

"Chum CHUUUUUM!!!" Tobias cried excitedly. 

"TOBYYYY!!!" He heard his companion cry back in his usual shrill tone, "Hi, Toby! How's the whole Fanman thing going so far?"

Tobias giggled quietly, plopping back onto his sofa with a huff, "oh well, you know, just AWESOMELY! I did twenty fiiive push-ups just now." He explained, bragging humbly.

"Twenty fiiive?" Chum Chum asked joyously, "Wow, that's 5 more than yesterday! You're gonna be in shape in no time!"

"Mh… I guess so!" Tobias concurred, looking to his bicep as he flexed his arm, picking up on a new protrusion that wasn’t there before as he flexed. "Oooh!" He said in delight, "I think my biceps are getting bigger!"

"Awesoooome!" Chum Chum said, "let me know when that six pack comes in!" He added, half joking.

"So I've been working out my body, and thats cool n’ all, but how's your brain workout been going, Chum? You learnin' stuff over there at uni?"

"Oh yeah, definitely." Chum Chum replied, "I just got out of my Government class. I'm thinking maybe I wanna try to run for senate before trying for president…"

"Senate, hm?" Tobias asked, acting as if he understood what Chum Chum meant, "well, I'll back you up in whatever political biz you choose. Hey, when you're president, I could be, like, your personal bodyguard!"

Chum Chum gasped, "oh yeah!!! That would be so cool! And I already trust you so it'll definitely work out."

The two shared a laugh about the idea, having a superhero as a presidential bodyguard.

"Haha… but y'know, Toby," Chum Chum added, calming down from his laughter, "I bet I could defend myself too. All this political stuff is a good way to take my life, but… sometimes… I miss the whole leotard and cape and mask thing." He admitted, his tone turning thoughtful.

"You've always been a great, loyal companion to me, Chummy. Maybe when you come back in the summer, we can get you trained up too!" Tobias offered happily, "I couldn't think of anyone more suited to be my sidekick."

"Oh, so you don't think I'm good enough to be a superhero on my own?" Chum Chum asked in a snarky tone, chuckling soon after remarking. "I'm joking," he clarified, "I can't imagine not fighting by your side. I hope you don't get too lonely while you're out there doing Fanman stuff without me!" He teased.

"It's gonna be hard, but I think I'll manage." Tobias teased back with a chuckle. The two friends shared a laugh before their laughter ceased. "Aha… ok, Chum, I gotta go. It's time for my daily jog."

"Yeeaah, I've got some homework to do too." Chum Chum agreed, "I'll call you later."

"Yeah! Talk to you later, Chum!"

"Seeya!"

After hanging up the phone, Tobias stood and began to make his way upstairs, going to get ready for his jog.

…

Humming happily along to the music he was listening to through his bluetooth ear buds, Tobias blissfully jogged down the sidewalk with a pep in his step. He danced and shimmied gleefully as he ran, getting into the groove of his music as he went along. If he was going to exercise, he might as well have fun with it.

The sun's rays hit hotly against the adult superfan's skin, as it had been every day since his training. The brightness against Tobias's flesh has slowly contributed to a gradual tan, his skin slightly darkening every day he went out to jog. Picking up on a slight darkness to the pigment in the skin of his slightly sweaty arms, Tobias held out his arms straight in front of him and admired it, mostly grateful that he wasn't turning red with a sunburn. Despite it being September, and the end of summer, Galaxy Hills still remained pretty toasty due to its placement on the earth. It wouldn't be long before Tobias had to trade in the shorts and tank top for more warm jogging clothes, he felt.

Suddenly, Tobias's train of thought was derailed as he collided with a person. He hadn't been paying attention to his environment as he was preoccupied with the tone of his skin, causing him to double back after running into the person in front of him, landing on his rear with an oof. After quickly regaining his senses, Tobias gave his head a slight shake as he stared at the person he ran into, observing as the now knocked-down victim sat up while rubbing his head. He was a rather shifty looking kind of guy in a khaki trench coat, dark clothes that were very unwitting for the weather, and a magenta purse with a very large, metal buckle in the center clutched tightly in his grasp.

"Sorry…" Tobias apologized with shame as he stood up, dusting off a bit as he looked to the other man apologetically. "I-I like your purse!" He complimented stupidly, reaching into his pocket and turning down the volume of his music on his phone to be able to hear the man more easily if he spoke.

"Grr…" the other man simply grumbled as he stood up, running off suddenly without another word. This left Tobias alone, watching as the man ran off in bewilderment. 

"Help! Someone help!!!" 

A shrill voice of a woman suddenly sounded behind Tobias, causing him to jump in shock and turn around to investigate the ruckus. A woman in a sundress and wide-brimmed hat ran around the corner and up to Tobias in a panic. "Did you see a man in a trench coat??" She asked frantically. 

"Uh…" Tobias scratched his sweaty arm, uhming stupidly. "... yeah!" He finally answered as his slow wit finally caught up to him, "I just ran into him while jogging just now! He left before I could help him up, though, I guess he was in a hurry. He had a really nice purse!"

The woman gasped, "My Magenta Parkampopilous Purse??? He just stole that from me! I need that purse back!!!" She cried desperately, grabbing Tobias by the arms and shaking him erratically, her strength surprising to Tobias based on how small she was.

Tobias blinked stupidly down at the panicked woman before a light bulb finally went off in his very spacious, flat head. Turning his head and looking between the woman and the way the man went, he gasped sharply before quickly saying, "I-I'll get it!!!" Whipping around swiftly, Tobias began running off in the direction the thief ran. As he hauled ass after the perp, he could feel a massive amount of adrenaline in his chest, causing his heart to beat hard and fast like the chugging of a freight train. Unaware of it happening, a new sense overtook Tobias; this was Fanman's soft debut.

Tobias's actions began to inherit an unnatural sense of experience, despite him not even starting his formal action training; his expression also inherited an uncharacteristic seriousness. Skidding as he reached a turn in the sidewalk, he turned with a very accurate sense of reflex as he continued to run and find the perp, looking around to try to spot him. Out of his peripheral vision, he spotted the brief shine of the metal buckle on the purse in an alleyway across the street. Tobias halted and turned on a dime, starting to run across the street as he perused the purse thief.

A car came down the street as Tobias ran across, not checking for it before crossing. As if it was muscle memory, he spied the car coming right up to him and leaped. Almost as if he was moving in slow motion, Tobias jumped right over the car as it passed, landing with a clean roll before he continued to run into the alleyway.

His pursuit came to a screeching halt as Tobias was bet with a brick wall, looking around as he realized the alleyway was a dead end. "... where did he go?" Tobias thought to himself, examining the area. He spotted a few compressed boxes littering the ground around him, along with other kinds of bits of trash. A large dumpster resided along one of the walls of the alley next to a door, Tobias gazed at it with some scrutiny. He carefully approached the dumpster, grabbing the lid carefully, then swiftly opening it.

Suddenly, out popped the perp, jumping out of the dumpster past Tobias and out of the alley, purse in tow. With a grunt, he turned and pursued the thief. "Get back here, evildoer!" Tobias called heroically, as he trailed the perp close behind him. His breathing became increasingly labored, slowly losing his stamina as he chased after the thief. Tobias held steady, hoping to wear the thief out before he got worn out himself.

After a moment more of pursuit, the thief suddenly stumbled forward and fell, causing the purse to be flung and to land further forward. The perp tried to stand and grab the purse, until Tobias came up fast behind him and lunged at him, grabbing him tightly, trying to hold him down despite the thief being slightly stronger than him. Tobias held on tightly to the thief as he wriggled and bucked underneath his slightly inferior weight, feeling almost like a cowboy on the back of a steaming mad, rambunctious bull; except this bull was more vocal, and vulgar at that. 

"Get the hell off of me, you ass!!!" He growled, grunting suddenly as his head was slammed to the concrete by Tobias. 

  
  


"You better think again before trying to steal purses from innocent ladies!" Tobias barked, the viciousness of the reprimand almost making the perp flinch.

"Alright, alright, break it up!!!" Said a police officer, who came up to the wrestling pair with a backup officer. The two policemen grabbed Tobias and the thief and pried them off of each other, Tobias being pulled back without resistance, but the thief flailing wildly. "Let me go, I didn't do nothin'!" He argued.

"He's lying, he stole that purse!" Tobias argued, gesturing with his head to the purse that sat nearby on the sidewalk as the police officer held his hands behind his back.

"Stole it from who?" The officer holding Tobias questioned, looking around for a potential victim. "Me! It was me!" The small voice of the woman called as she rushed up from behind the officer, pointing at the thief, "he ran up and yanked it off of my arm while I was walking!" She claimed, "that guy you've got there ran after him and apprehended him for me! He's a hero!"

A hero.

Tobias's heart leaped in his chest suddenly, his cheeks flushing with excitement; he actually did it, he did something heroic. The officer relinquished his grip from Tobias, giving him a shove as he did. "Alright, alright, you're free." He grunted, walking past Tobias as he approached the perp, pulling his cuffs out. Tobias just stood there, watching the officers arrest the thief and escort him to a nearby police car. 

…

"Thank you so much for getting my purse!" The woman cried happily as she ran up to Tobias, giving him a very strong hug. He froze and stood as still as a statue as he was hugged, smiling awkwardly, just waiting for it to be over. The woman stepped back eventually, her magenta colored Parkampopilous purse resting firmly on her shoulder where it belonged. Giving it a pat, she smiled, "I would be a goner without this. Is there anything I can do to repay you? You want a tip? I have some dollar bills in my-"

"Oh noooo, no, no, no. No need." Tobias interjected with insistence, waving his hand dismissively, "I don't Take tips. I'm satisfied as long as you've got your stuff back."

"Ok… if you're sure! Thank you again." She said, smiling gratefully. 

"No prop! Stay safe!" Tobias called as he walked passed the woman, starting to head home.

"Wait!"

"Hm?"

Halting suddenly, Tobias turned around, looking to the woman curiously. 

"What's your name anyways?"

"..."

Tobias blinked, thinking hard about how he wanted to reply. 

"...Fanman."

With a confident wink, Tobias turned back around and began to jog home, turning up the volume of his music on his phone as he did so.

  
  



	4. The Superhero Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobias goes over to Oz Comix to discuss what had happened that day.

"So, then, I ran after him! I went full speed, Oz, I didn't think I could ever go as fast as I did, it was nuts!"

Tobias paced back and forth excitedly in front of the front counter of Oz Comix, with Oz himself seated at the counter listening with a rather serious expression. "Hm… go on?" He prompted.

"A-and then, I saw him in an alleyway trying to hide! So I was like 'oh, there he is, I gotta cross the street,' but I didn't Look both ways, and there was a car coming while I was running across! And then… the weirdest thing happened! I don't know how it happened, but it was almost as if time… slowed down? And I just jumped over the car while it passed, I didn't think I could actually-" 

"Wait…" Oz interjected, "what did you say?"

"I jumped over the car?"

"Before that."

"I ran across the street?"

"...  _ After  _ that."

"...Time felt like it slowed down?"

Oz's expression grew surprised, slowly standing from his seat. "So… you developed an out-of-character sense of skill… and you felt like time was moving slower… Toby, I'm gonna need you to sit down for this."

Tobias looked back and forth around the room for any kind of seat, but couldn't find one close by. In lieu of not having a chair, he simply bent down and sat criss cross on the ground.

"... that was rhetorical, you didn't actually have to sit down." Oz explained flatly as he came out from behind the counter, walking over to a display of comic books, "come, Toby, let me explain." 

Looking around stupidly, Tobias slowly stood and followed Oz, standing beside him as he began to page through the comics to find a specific book.

Pulling out a comic book from the display, Oz opened it and began to page through. "Toby, what you experienced today during your jog is known by many names in the world of Superheroism. In issue 23 of the first run of The Baffler, they call it heroic adrenaline." Oz presented an open page of his comic book to Tobias, showing the titular Baffler announcing that he felt his 'heroic adrenaline' kicking in. Closing the comic book, Oz set it back in its place and pulled out another, opening it and presenting it to Tobias like before. "... and in this issue of Hooves of Fury, Stawbucker the Super-horse calls it his 'gallop of glory'... Ugh, so lame." Oz explained before setting the comic book carelessly back in its spot. "Whatever a singular Superhero may call it, they're all experiencing the same thing; in a general sense, it's called the Superhero instinct.”

Tobias's expression shifted slowly to a look of wonder. "... wow…" he breathed, "the superhero instinct? That sounds so… awesome!"

"It's very awesome, Toby." Oz agreed.

"How does it work?" Tobias asked, "did I get bit by a bug or eat some toxic sludge at some point or something?" 

Oz shook his head, looking amused by the questioning. "No, no, not at all. It's with you at birth, and it's what separates superheroes from people in flashy costumes rescuing kittens out of trees." 

"Why didn't you tell me about the instinct before?"

"I didn't think you'd be able to unlock it so soon. I thought maybe you would during your formal combat training…" Oz stated as he wandered back over to the front counter.

“But…” Tobias said, suddenly feeling a pang of doubt, “... what if that was just a one-time thing? A coincidence? What if I don't actually have that kind of power?”

"I didn't think you'd be able to unlock it so soon. I thought maybe you would during your formal combat training…" Oz stated as he wandered back over to the front counter. He subtly grabbed an action figure that was set on the surface, eyeing Tobias out of his peripheral vision. "So if it's true, that you've achieved the superhero instinct... then you'd be able to CATCH THIS!"

Turning swiftly, Oz took the action figure and threw it hard at Tobias.

Tobias was suddenly taken aback by Oz's sudden assault, starting to flinch before he began to feel the world moving slower around him. He felt his heart beating fast and hard, watching the collectible as it slowly flew closer and closer in his direction. With a slight flinch, Tobias closed his eyes and, against his own will, extended his arm, opening his hand as he prepared for the toy to collide with his hand. Feeling the plastic of the figure slowly pressing against his palm, he grasped it tightly with his fingers, the atmosphere of the room suddenly shifting back to normal as he caught the toy. 

Tobias stood still, eyes still closed, not moving or speaking from nerves. The only sound that broke the silence was his soft, nervous panting, until he heard Oz finally speak up.

"I'm impressed, Toby." Oz stated simply, "it looks like you've really got the gift."

Tobias slowly opened his eyes with a few blinks, looking to the action figure that he had caught. He took the toy in both of his hands and bent the articulated arms, toying with it with an expression of sheet wonder. "...that was so crazy." Tobias stated breathlessly, handing the action figure back to Oz, "you threw it, and everything went so slow."

"Actually," Oz started, taking the toy from Tobias, "time didn't go slow, your reflexes are actually just lightning fast."

“So, wait… Oz, if I have that Superhero Instinct, then… does that mean I  _ technically _ have a superpower?”

Furrowing his brow as he pondered for a moment, Oz eventually gave the younger man a nod. “I suppose,” he answered, “but more in the sense of response and action. It’s definitely not an obvious power like shooting fireballs from your hands or flying, but it’s a superpower nonetheless.”

Tobias smiled excitedly, starting to subtly bounce up and down in his glee. “This is awesome!” he said happily, “I never thought I’d get my very own superpower!” 

“Don’t expect it to activate whenever you want, though,” Oz stated, “The instinct usually only activates in situations of danger. You know, like when you were about to get hit by a car. With that said, you can’t just put yourself in dangerous situations and expect the instinct to kick in. You can’t be careless, Toby, you’ve got yourself a big responsibility.” 

The mention of responsibility made Tobias shiver with anxiety. “Now that you mention it, this does seem like a pretty big responsibility. Man, and the danger...” he murmured, walking over to the front counter and leaning on it. “I mean… there’s more than just purse thieves. I’m really lucky that guy didn’t have a knife or something!” Tobias went silent as he contemplated the danger of vigilante justice, letting out hard sighs as he tried to expel his worries. “What if i get stabbed, or… shot?”

“... Look, Tobe. Your instinct might now save you all the time, but it will definitely kick in when it matters.” Oz ensured, “when The Baffler was faced with Utter Destruction Man,  _ uhg i can’t believe that dumb name he chose _ , his own instinct saved him from his Utter Destruction Ray.”

Tobias winced, “Yeeaah… I remember that, he could’ve been disintegrated in a snap.”

“And you could too, but you won’t! If you’re skilled, your instinct can save your life.” Oz insured, “But don’t think that you don't have to train the Superhero Instinct, though. You have to make sure your reflexes are sharp, and that you’re fully aware of your surroundings. I wouldn’t be worried, you already seem to have a good sense of the power, and I'm sure your sense of reflex will only improve with your training.”

Tobias nodded as he listened intently to Oz’s instruction, fully aware that his newly found instincts could mean life or death for the fanatic. “Alright” Tobias replied, voice soft with thoughtfulness, “I'm just… what if I... ahg…” he scratches at the back of his head, wandering around the lobby of the store aimlessly, pacing.

“Don’t tell me you’re doubting yourself, Toby.” Oz said with some disappointment and sympathy in his tone.   
  


“I don't know, I just…” he sighed, leaning against a wall, “I don't know…”

The atmosphere of the room shifted suddenly, Tobias perking up as he instinctively looked to his side, once again spotting an action figure flying in his direction and Oz frozen in a throwing position. Again? His arm automatically lifting again to catch the toy, time went back to normal as he caught it firmly in his grasp. He sighed, giving Oz an annoyed look. “Would you please cut that out?” he asked sincerely, yet firmly.

“I’m just trying to prove a point, young Tobias.” Oz said, crossing his arms, “you already have a natural sense of reflex, man, you just have to keep it sharp. You shouldn’t doubt yourself with such a sense of instinct.”

“I guess you have a point.” Tobias replied as he set the action figure on a nearby shelf. He looked out the front window of the store, observing as it had gotten fully dark out since he had arrived. “I think i'm gonna go, Oz.” yawned Tobias as he began to make his way to the door, suddenly feeling a flash of fatigue, “I’ll see you later.”

“Night, Toby. I’ll come and check on you tomorrow.” Oz replied, giving the Superfan a wave. 

“Thanks, goodnight.” Tobias replied kindly with a wave back, pushing the door open and walking out.

…

Letting out sparse, wheezy breaths, Tobias laid on the floor and performed diligent sit-ups in front of his bed, doing so for the past few minutes. Face red and lightly coated in sweat, he kept the exercise up out of sheer anxiety, afraid that he would fail somehow if he stopped, despite the only stake at hand being some missed-out exercise opportunity.

“... life or death… life or death…” He muttered aimlessly to himself, hoping to feel motivated by the self-threatening remarks. Despite the mutterings doing well to keep him motivated, it didn't do much in regards to keeping his spirits up. 

With one last sit-up, Tobias grabbed his face with a grunt. He hadn’t felt such an abundance of fear since his bout of depression, and was not comfortable with those feelings coming back to torment him. Despite his objection, his mind continued to be intruded by a dark cloud of doubt and anxiety.

Giving the ground a small punch with his fist, Tobias shot up and made his way to his bathroom, stripping his t-shirt off in the process. Behind his twisted thoughts, he took not of the lack of pain on his hand where he hit the floor.

…

Tobias stood still in the shower, the water hitting the top of his head as he leaned his forehead on the wall below the shower head, droplets running all along his body until exiting off of his feet. He definitely needed a shower after what had happened to him that day; his intense workout mixed with his toils of emotions made him feel filthy on the inside and outside. 

“... Can't believe I used to go months without showers…” Tobias remarked to himself, trying to distract his mind as he rubbed the water into his face with his hands with a mighty huff, “... I was such a stupid kid…” 

“... a stupid, dumb kid… an innocent kid who just wants to be a superhero… who doesn't understand the danger… who grows into a stupid, dumb adult who hasn’t changed…”

Tobias’s mind began to warp and twist with depressing thoughts, filling his body with dread and anxiety. He made a tight fist with his right hand, his grip becoming so firm that his knuckles began to grow white with the tautness of his skin. The more swollen, his chest grew with worry, the firmer his grip, eventually growing so tight that to shake. 

Suddenly, Tobias decided he couldn't handle the pressure any longer. With a sudden, jarring, monstrous groan, he threw his fist back and slammed it against the surface of the shower, hitting it hard with a hard thunk.

Still, no pain.

After delivering the assault to his shower, he could feel the world slow down around him, the stream from the shower slowing down to a snail’s pace. 

“Oh man, what happened?…”

Tobias’s gaze shot up, almost as if pulled magnetically. He spotted a bottle of soap he kept at the top ledge of his shower, slowly starting to fall towards his head. His arm reached up, catching the bottle before it could fully fall off the ledge, pushing it back steadily into its place.

The water from the shower immediately regained its speed as Tobias fixed the bottle. Putting his arms down back at his side, he simply stared forward in silence with a very empty feeling; not exactly negative, but not positive either. 

His instincts had kicked in just for his soap bottle, and it was only about to hit him on the head.

Perhaps his reflexes were really already good, despite his anxieties.

“... It can only get better from here on.” Tobias murmured to himself reassuringly, comforting himself. He felt an overwhelming sense of security at his reflex, satisfied at the idea of having a reliable defense, even if he was only going to get hit on the head. “I could have really used this as a kid…” he thought to himself. 

Tobias took in a deep breath as he picked up a bottle of shampoo, drizzling some on his palm. “... I’ll be alright.” he reassured himself softly as he began to lather his hair up, “... just gotta train.”

  
  



	5. What An Awful Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobias vents his concerns to Chum Chum, then goes to sleep...
> 
> \---
> 
> This chapter's art is a collab done with my pal Honky, give em a look!
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/honkinjester
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/honkinjester/

Anything could be happening in Tobias's life to put him down; from inconveniences as little as stepping in a puddle with socks on, to epidemics as large as a full on apocalypse. No matter what kind of travesties he was facing at any point, he always felt that the quickest way to feel better again was to have some quality time with his pal Chum Chum. After a day like what Tobias had, he felt he could really use a chat.

Tobias was snuggled into his bed with his bedside lamp on, a laptop placed on his chest which he stared at attentively. Chum Chum was on a video call with him, the two having some idle chit chat as they independently browsed the net. The idle chit chat gradually shifted into a discussion about Tobias’s mental health, he himself feeling somewhat isolated in his situation, and very much feeling as if he needed to vent.

"... and, I came home, and I just felt so… lost, I guess." Tobias recalled his evening, recounting his bout of stress he had in the shower, "I ended up getting so mad and frustrated, I-... I punched the wall." He admitted, looking ashamed. 

"You punched the wall?" Chum Chum asked, looking to Tobias through his computer screen with concern, "Oh man, it's bad..." he remarked, such a display of lashing out feeling so wrong when it came from his long-time friend.

"I know, I hate it." Tobias replied, rubbing his eye. "I just…" He casually reached into his eye socket, pulling out his false eye and passively toying with it in his hand, Chum Chum watched with only a slight hint of disgust on his face, yet was overall unaffected, "... I felt like I couldn't handle it for a second there. I felt really worried that maybe this power I have, apparently, won't work, or… I won't use it right and I could get hurt, but it happened when I was showering, and all that happened was that a bottle was falling! It worked so well, and in that moment I felt so dumb."

"I understand your nerves, Toby. I would be worried too if I was in your shoes. Sometimes I get kind of worried that even though I've practiced reciting an oral report countless times, I'll still flub it up somehow and looks stupid. But, I never do, cause I practiced so much and was overall too anxious to fail!"

"Yeah, but that's just an oral report!" Tobias argued, "a flub for me means I get a bullet in my head, or someone innocent gets hurt or something!" 

Chum Chum nodded understandingly. "You're right, but my point is that I practice diligently, and I don't fail! My oral reports have hard deadlines, Toby, but you have the luxury of choosing to do the hero stuff whenever you feel ready! If you're so concerned about failing, then I know that you won't stop training until you're ready. That kind of concern is really admirable in the kind of person you want to be!" 

"Mh…" Tobias formed a small smile with his lips, "well… I guess so."

"I know you, Toby, probably more than anyone else in Galaxy Hills. You're gonna give it your all, you're not gonna stop, and you're gonna do everything you can to succeed in the end." Chum Chum said encouragingly, "Plus, that power really does seem foolproof based on how you've described it! I'm telling you, your worries really are irrational, but they're still valid."

"Yeah…" Tobias's smile grew wider as Chum Chum spoke, grateful to have such an encouraging friend to help him through his problems, and feeling more comfortable overall about his upcoming duty. "Thanks, Chum," he hummed, "I'm glad to have such a level headed friend."

"Hey, you're level headed too! Remember when we put the level on it and the bubble in the tube thing was perfectly centered?" Chum Chum asked with a laugh.

Tobias laughed with his companion, scratching at his head self-consciously, but not feeling offended. "Yeah, yeah, haha. Very funny." He mocked.

Chum Chum shook his head with a small chuckle, "ahaha… In all seriousness, Toby, you really are level headed, honest! Your problem is just how worried you are, really. The more you practice, Toby, the less anxious you'll feel."

“Yeah! Yeah…” agreed Tobies, “I just need to chill. “ 

“Yeah! Chill”

“Yeah!”

“Yeah!”

“... Yeah. Thanks again, Chum.” Tobias thanked again as his eyes shifted down to the bottom corner of his laptop screen, observing the time that read 1:32 am. “Yikes, it’s really late. I gotta get some sleep!”

“Wow, I had no idea it was so late! It feels more like 10pm. I guess I'll head out then.” replied Chum Chum with a slight stretch.

“Eyup!” Tobias concurred as he slid his false eye back into its socket, blinking a few times to get it to rest right, “night!”

“Goodnight!”

After hanging up the video call with Chum Chum, Tobias minimized the chatting software he was using and tabbed into his internet browser, opening up to an image search for superhero costumes. Prior to his chat with his companion, Tobias was pondering the kind of costume he would like to make for himself. He knew the costume process was at the very end of the checklist, but the thought of having his very own costume, and the curiosity of what it might come out being stuck in his mind, and stayed there rent-free.

Tobias pondered, contemplating as he scrolled past costume after costume. He stopped suddenly as a familiar figure caught his eye, it was Gadgeteer. “Oh yeah…” Tobias murmured, briefly eyeing the Gadgeteer comic he had put on his bedside table for future reference. His costume was a lot like how Tobias’s was when he was young, save for the fact that his childhood costume was definitely more amature; skin tight suit, gloves, some classy looking outer-underwear, and a long flowing cape. The only deviation Tobias recognized was the presence of a large helmet with goggle lenses, and more interestingly, his bulky utility belt.

Tobias recalled seeing the belt before, his fascination with it still remaining in that moment.

“... Yeah, I could use a costume like that.”

Shutting his laptop computer down, Tobias settled down to sleep, his mind still swirling with images of superheroes and vigilante justice. He felt like he was dreaming about Christmas morning, feeling a gradual buildup of excitement in his chest. Or was it fear? Tobias couldn't decide, falling asleep before he could make the decision.

  
  


…

  
  


“Shit… Shit… SHIT!!!” Tobias scolded to himself as he found himself running down a seemingly endless alleyway. His breathing was hard and laborious, yet his stamina wasn't faltered as he ran. He looked around frantically as he ran, observing the dingy brick walls and garbage bags as he ran by them, looking forward only to see a fog that revealed more of the endless corridor.

Tobias glanced behind himself at his pursuers, seeing only pitch black, shadowy figures with a very stilted, yet surprisingly fast, run. He swiftly turned his attention forward, only to immediately trip on a piece of trash on the ground and hit the ground with a skidding faceplant, which harbored little to no pain to the surprise of the superfan. Flinching fearfully, Tobias shook as he waited for his pursuers to catch up to him.

But, after a while, there was nothing. No one.

Tobias looked up and examined the area around him, not spotting a single person in sight. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel relieved or scared, but was nonetheless glad he didn't have to run for now. He slowly stood to his feet, being met with a surprising amount of gravity, almost feeling as if his limbs were filled with heavy weights.

Even more surprising to Tobias than his sudden weight gain was his body; it was… small. Short and slender. He was dressed in his childhood Fanboy costume, gloves and underwear and cape and all. Tobias touched around his body confusingly, bewildered by how well the clothes fit on his body, and at that, how different his body felt to the touch.

Wait…

Standing fully up, Tobias’s eyes were caught by movement on a wall beside him. He turned his body, being face-to-face with a figure, seemingly projected on the wall. It was a mirror, he realized quickly. He was looking at himself.

Tobias looked at the mirror image of himself in sheer bewilderment, utterly shocked at what met him; himself as a child, right before his very eyes. Carefully approaching the mirror, he placed a hand on the glassy, cold surface, surprised that he could feel it behind his purple glove. He made intense eye contact with himself in the mirror, confused. 

“Is this really me?” he wondered aloud, voice soft and quivering a fear, “I-I thought I grew up?... I’m not a kid…” he continued, suddenly gasping when he realized his mirror image wasn’t speaking with him. Tobias doubled back, suddenly feeling heavier and rife with fear. The mirror image didn't move. 

Making an attempt to run away, Tobias suddenly felt exhausted. He fell forward onto his stomach and gasped desperately in an attempt to scream, but finding himself unable to even speak. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his younger mirror self start to casually walk out from the wall, casually approaching Tobias as he struggled to slowly crawl away to no avail.

Tobias’s vision slowly began to go dark. He could see the sneakered feet of his mirror image walk in front of him then stop. Mirror Fanboy bent down to get a good look at Tobias, his expression apathetic and almost uncaring as his vision was overcome with darkness.

  
  


…

  
  


With a sudden jolting feeling, Tobias shot up with a harsh, loud gasp. He squawked fearfully as his eyes flew open, sitting statue-still as he began to take in his surroundings. A wash of relief washed over Tobias, he was in his bed, up in the loft of the Fanlair. Tobias’s body shook with relief, touching his sweaty face as he rubbed his eyes soothingly. 

What an awful nightmare.

Letting in a deep, mitigating sigh, Tobias slid out of his bed and steadily stood up. He began to stretch, grunting and humming as he felt his bones pop and crackle inside of his body. He examined himself as he did, recognizing his shirt and gym shorts he had put on before bed. Struck with relief once again, Tobias went downstairs to get his daily routine out of the way.

After shoveling down some scrambled eggs for breakfast, Tobias made his way over to the space between his couch and TV to do his push-ups. Ever since he reached one hundred push-ups last September, Tobias made the executive decision to stick with that number until he felt he could continue doing five more each day. As he settled onto the ground and pondered if he should go beyond one hundred, he also considered the time had passed since training began. It was still sunny and warm when he began, but the crisp coldness of fall soon thereafter settled in, leading into the reds, oranges, and yellows on the trees of late October, the trees quick to give way to their leaves, allowing them to scatter along the ground until they had none more to give. “There goes the tan I was working on,” Tobias lamented vainly to himself as he looked at his now-pale arms, which pushed his body up and down continuously with little struggle.

The shift in weather was not the only change to occur throughout the course of his training. As Tobias examined the pigment of his skin, he quickly noticed his ever-growing biceps. Watching the way they bulged as he flexed them with every lift, Tobias felt an overwhelming sense of pride in his diligence; since training began, he had only missed one day of workouts thus far, and that was because he wanted an off day.

As he reached one hundred push-ups, Tobias couldn't help but notice he still had some stamina to spare. He figured, what the heck? Let's go for one hundred and five! With five more mighty pushes, Tobias stood with his last push as he reveled in the glory of breaching the one hundred mark.

Dusting off his hands in a celebratory fashion, he began to make his way over to his calendar to document his progress. Before reaching the calendar, a body mirror that was leaning against a wall caught his eye. He stood still, looking over to his reflection. It was him, alright, in his current state. Carefully, he approached the mirror, his breathing somewhat shallow and worried. Tobias stood facing the mirror, his whole body in view. He began to take in all of his new features that hadn't been there at the beginning of September.

Bending his forearm, Tobias gave his bicep a curious poke, satisfied with it’s density. “Nice,” he remarked to himself, looking curiously at his shirt-covered belly. Grasping the fabric, he gave it a small lift, turning his vision down and gazing carefully for any contours. Lo and behold, there it was; while not as prominent as he hoped, Tobias was definitely developing some abs on his stomach. He grinned happily, thankful his body has improved so much from his previous, atrophied state from his state of depression.

While he was indeed impressed with the state of his body, Tobias also couldn't help but feel confused by the pace of his muscle growth. “... Is this a normal pace?” he wondered aloud, “am I supposed to look like this after a little over a month of workout?”

Tobias scratched at his sparsely hairy chin, furrowing his brow. Maybe it's a Superhero Instinct thing, he considered, if it could somehow make him run faster and jump higher like he’s been doing, maybe it could help him get stronger quicker too.

Shaking his head, Tobias let go of the conflicting questioning. He was stronger, and his performance was overall improved; that’s all that mattered. “At this rate”, he wondered aloud, “maybe I can be suited up by winter.”


	6. Let's See What You've Got.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobias performs a series of superhero-related tasks.

“... I was looking in the mirror this morning, and... I've noticed a lot of changes in my body since we started training. I’m getting a lot more muscle mass, and I'm feeling stronger than I've ever felt in my life! I think I'm ready for the next step.” 

Tobias paced back and forth in Oz’s living room, using the space in front of his couch to do his repetitive walking. Oz sat in a lax position on the couch as he heard his scatterbrained Padawan out, examining him with a scrutinizing gaze as he walked about and spoke somewhat aimlessly. 

“I’m pretty sure I’m ready! I know it's only been a month but... I've been making a lot of improvement! Like… almost… too much improvement? The exercise thing I've been following said I shouldn’t expect too much muscle mass until, maybe, the second or third month but-... just look!” 

Tobias began to peel off his hoodie, pulling it over his head and casting it aside, leaving him in his short sleeved shirt. Lifting his arm, he gave it a flex, showing a very obvious bicep muscle, one that hadn’t shown nearly as prominently before. Oz raised his eyebrows, somewhat shocked even though he felt he shouldn’t have been; even he didn’t expect Tobias to improve so quickly. “Well, well!” Oz hummed in contemplation, “Looks like the Superhero Instinct has a hold on more than just your reflexes.”

“You mean that's what's been happening?” Tobias asked, lifting his shirt slighting as he looked at his lighty abed stomach curiously, “you think that's why I’m improving so fast?”

“The Instinct likes to pick favorites sometimes.” Oz stated as he began to stand, somewhat struggling under his own weight. He let out a sigh, as if winded just by standing up. “Some superheroes get more perks than others. When The Instinct kicks in, all sorts of different performance quirks can occur; like, uh… increased strength, increased stamina, higher pain tolerance…”

Tobias’s expression perked, “I-I I think I’ve… definitely been feeling those.” he said, recalling his strange lack of pain with punching, the odd amount of speed he gains when he jogs, and his unexplainable amount of sudden strength he’s acquired. “Why didn’t you tell me about  _ those _ before?” he questioned Oz with a slightly outraged tone to his voice.

“Honestly, I didn't think you would... inherit those abilities yet?” Oz admitted precariously, peering around, feeling pretty stupid for not bringing it up before, “and I guess it… slipped my mind.” 

Tobias sighed with a groan, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms in slight irritation, “some mentor you are.” he remarked silently.

“Well, I suppose with this new development… Maybe you are ready for the next step.” Oz considered as he turned around, walking up to a nearby window to look out of it in contemplation. 

Tobias let in a sudden, sharp gasp, “Really???” he asked gleefully.

“But first,” Oz interjected quickly, “... I want to give you a physical, a test if you will. I’m going to run you through some basic maneuvers that you might encounter while on the field.”

His excitement somewhat faltered by the condition Oz set in place, Tobias nodded in compliance. “I can do that!” he said, sounding willing and very much able, “let's do it!”

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Oz questioned as he looked over to Tobias with an intense, serious gaze, acting somewhat overdramatic, “I’m really gonna put you through the wringer with this.”

“Yeah, yeah! I can do it, Oz!” Tobias promised excitedly, feeling a very significant pang of doubt in his chest and stomach at his promise. Could he really live up to his promise?

Oz squinted his eyes to Tobias, picking up subtly on his hesitancy and self-doubt through his cheerful reply. Despite sensing his ward’s uncertainty, Oz still felt that his promises just might ring true. “Ok.” Oz declared, “Come, Tobias, let’s see what you’ve got.”

  
  


…

  
  


Tobias stood on the sidewalk outside of Oz Comix, being told to stay there by Oz while he got the first challenge set up. Kicking somewhat aimlessly, Tobias looked all around him as he contemplated the gauntlet that stood before him. What would be expected of him? The uncertainty made Tobias uneasy.

In the midst of his contemplation, Tobias suddenly felt a shift in the speed of the world around him; something was about to hit him. He could feel his body start to turn, his arm becoming outstretched as his hand opened. Before he could turn his head and see what was coming at him, something cold, smooth, and metallic met his hand, and his fingers firmly constricted around its surface.

The world around him shifting back to normal, Tobias looked over to what he had caught; a can of soda. “Orange soda?” he asked aloud, looking over to where the can had been thrown from. Oz approached Tobias from the direction, brandishing a few more cans of soda in his arms. Stopping in front of Tobias, he took the cans and placed them on the sidewalk in a neat row. 

“This is your first challenge,” Oz stated, reaching and politely taking away the can Tobias was holding, placing it in the row. “There are eight cans sitting before you, and seven of them have been shaken up. Your job is to find out which can is not shaken, and open it. Your reward is a nice, refreshing drink of non-shaken orange soda.”

Tobias raised an eyebrow to Oz, confused by the challenge. “Wait… how am I supposed to know which can is shaken and which one isn’t?”

“It’s in your instinct, it comes with a sense of intuition. A professional Superhero would have been able to deduce which cans had been shaken up already instead of arguing.”

“But-”

“No buts, Toby. If you're truly ready for vigilante justice, you’ll know which of these cans is unshaken.”

“...” 

Letting out a sigh, Tobias turned his attention to the cans set out before him. He squatted down, leaning in to get a closer look, hoping somehow that would help. He gave the cans an intense, scrutinizing look, really not sure what to be looking for at all.

After observing Tobias for a moment, Oz grunted in slight frustration. “Seriously?” he asked, “you were able to find that purse thief hiding in a dumpster in an alleyway across the street from you, but you can’t find one measly unshaken aluminum soda can?”

“That's not fair, Oz, there was nowhere else he could have hid!”

“How did you know to look in the dumpster?” 

“What??”

“How did you know?”

Tobias stopped and pondered Oz’s odd question for a moment, “... because it was the only thing he could have possibly fit inside of in the entire alleyway?” 

“And how did you decide that?”

“... I observed my surroundings, and when I looked at the dumpster, I thought maybe it was just big enough for him to sit in, and I just got this gut feeling-”

“A gut feeling!” Oz interjected, “One of the hallmarks of The Superhero Instinct; intuition.”

“... Hu???” if Tobias wasn’t confused before, he definitely was now.

Oz placed his palm on his forehead with a grunt. “Observe your surroundings, and go with your gut. I guarantee that you would have found that perp on the first try if there were 8 dumpsters in that alley”

“But there wasn’t-”

“It doesn’t matter, just do it!”

Scratching his scalp, Tobias turned his attention back to the cans. “Ok…” he scanned each can individually, one by one, he looked at them and took the word of what his gut was telling him.

By the sixth can, Tobias could feel a sudden shift in his gut, unable to move his gaze past the can almost as if his eyes were super glued in place. He blinked slowly, getting an overwhelming feeling from the can just by looking at it. He could feel an almost quiet sense from the can, compared to the cans around it that felt more unstable. Was that the overactive carbonation, ready to burst out with the push of a can tab? Tobias’s gut feeling suspected as such.

Oz watched Tobias carefully, immediately noticing a shift in his face as he locked onto the sixth can. “... He’s got it...” Oz thought, “... I think.” 

Gulping hard, Tobias reached out for the sixth can and grabbed it carefully, lifting it up as he stood up straight. For a moment, he stood still, keeping his gaze locked onto the aluminum can. With his other hand, he slowly reached for the tab on the top of the can. Tobias glanced unsuredly at Oz. 

Giving him a nod, Oz gestured to Tobias to go on. “Open it.” he ordered calmly.

Tobias nodded back and turned his gaze back to the soda can. Wedging his pointer finger under the tab, he flinched as he swiftly pushed it forward.

He heard a click, then a hiss, then a soft sizzle.

Opening his eyes, Tobias looked down to the can in his hands and, to his relief, wasn't met with a gushing stream of orange soda, just a simple open can.

Smirking, Oz gave Tobias a proud nod. “Alright, you’ve passed the intuition test.” he announced, giving his young ward a pat on the shoulder. 

Smiling wide, Tobias took a celebratory drink from the soda can, chugging it until it was completely empty. He let out a belch, taking the can between his hands and crushing it with a surprising strength. “Alright, what’s next?” he asked, feeling a significant rise in confidence. 

“Alright…” Oz bent over and picked up 3 of the cans he laid out, “Next is a test of reflex.”

“Easy.” Tobias said with scoff.

“Don't get cocky, Toby. It’s easy enough when you catch one projectile, but multiple might be a little tricky. Ready?”

Tobias nodded, “I'm ready.”

Grasping the soda cans in his hands, Oz threw them individually around Tobias, one after the other, in all different directions.

As he did, like clockwork, the world slowed down for Tobias. Seeing the first can approach him to his left, his hand reached out and grasped it. He did the same to the can to his right. As the third can approached Tobias head-on, he quickly noticed he had no more free hands to grab it with. Quickly getting an idea, hoping this idea would work, he pressed the third can between the two other cans, quickly taking all three cans and hugging them with his arms.

Tobias suddenly became confused, not yet feeling the world around him shift back to normal despite catching all the cans. He swiftly turned his head up, shocked to see a forth can come at him from above, seemingly thrown from the roof. Having no more hands to catch with, he only had one more possible solution to catch the quickly-descending soda can.

Bending his legs a bit, Tobias jumped up toward the can, higher than he expected to go. Once his face was close to the falling can, he opened his mouth wide and sank his teeth into the aluminum of the can. Landing back down on his feet, he felt his teeth penetrate the can from the pressure of his bite, the can also slightly caving under the weight. As his teeth poked into the can, spurts of orange soda began to very slowly fly out from the gaps, the speed of which suddenly increasing to normal speed as he landed.

“Mrph… hr, hrmph…” Tobias sputtered and coughed behind the can as the soda squirted into his mouth, spitting the can out and letting it hit the ground as it continued to spray with the shaken up soda. With a sigh, he dropped the other cans on the ground, wiping the excess soda off of his face with his arm. “Uhg… who even threw the can from up there?”

Turning his attention to the roof of the Oz Comix building, he spotted Mitzy the goat standing at the ledge, bahing down to him as if greeting him. As Mitzy stepped away from the ledge of the roof, Tobias turned back to Oz.

“Wasn’t as easy, was it?” Oz asked.

“A little, I guess… So did I pass?” replied Tobias.

“Yeah, you passed. Follow me, I'll take you to your next challenge,” Tobias’s older mentor ordered as he began to walk back into the building, with Tobias following behind. 

…

As he walked onto the roof of the building, Tobias took a look around. Where Mitzy once stood were stacked a few cans of orange soda, yet Mitzy was nowhere to be found. However, what was stranger than that, was what was placed in the center of the roof; a large, metal, overturned bookcase with a mannequin beneath it. Tobias tilted his head, “what  _ is  _ this?” he questioned, crossing his arms passively.

Oz pointed to the mannequin, “that mannequin is an innocent civilian,” then to the bookcase, “and that bookcase is a… Well, it's a bookcase, and it's crushing the innocent civilian. Your job is to save the civilian from underneath the bookcase by lifting it up.”

Tobias nodded, “Ok, seems straightforward enough.” as he began to approach the bookcase, Oz put an arm out in front of Tobias.

“Ah!” he interjected, “hold on, I'm not finished. While you save the civilian, you’ll also be shot with projectiles. Oz explained as he pointed up towards the Fanlair.

Bewildered, Tobias looked up to where Oz was pointing, focusing on the rooftop where he spotted Mitzy, who stood at the edge. He was standing beside some kind of strange-looking cannon aimed down back at him, chewing on a string attached to the back.

“Pull!” Oz called over to Mitzy. With a bah of response, Mitzy pulled the string and a can flew out of the end of the cannon, headed straight for Tobias. Quickly stepping aside as the soda can began to slowly fly toward him, Tobias yelped somewhat pathetically as he dodged the quick-moving projectile. He quickly turned to Oz with an expression of outrage, “you CAN NOT be serious.”

“Oh, I am!” Oz replied, stepping aside to a safer spot on the roof. “Go!” he ordered, signaling to Mitzy to keep shooting. 

Looking around frantically, Tobias continued to frantically dodge soda cans as he began to lift the bookcase up, ducking back and forth as soda cans flew at him relentlessly. Tobias’s arms slightly shook as he began to slowly lift the heavy bookcase up, each dodging of the cans flying by causing him to drop the bookcase again.

His frustration began to mount as he continued on, with the unrelenting cans being launched at him, and the pressure of having to save someone, it was all quickly becoming too much. Suddenly, Tobias let out a mighty, frustrated yell as he yanked the bookcase up, pushing it back so hard that it fell on its other side with a jarring metal thunk.

Standing up straight, grunting and panting angrily down at the bookcase, he swiftly held his arm up and caught an oncoming can effortlessly, huffing out hard as he gave it a hard squeeze upon impact, causing it to crumple and leak with orange soda, jagged aluminum sticking into his hand.

Picking up on Tobias’s mounted anger and feeling a heavy rush of guilt for it, Oz quickly signaled to Mitzy to stop, the shooting of the weaponized cans stopping soon thereafter. Tobias stood still, breathing hard in and out, his grip on the now crumpled soda can slowly loosening. He let it fall to the ground, leaving his hand wet and dripping, with a fairly large cut left by the jagged metal. 

Finally relaxing himself from his state of anger, Tobias felt a light buzzing on his hand, holding it in front of his face to observe the cut he made. He was surprised to see the injury; it didn't hurt much at all, it just buzzed. Tobias gazed up to Oz, “uh… I cut my hand.” he stated plainly.

Oz winced as his gaze focused on Tobias’s hand, which had begun to lightly bleed, the blood mixing with the orange soda on his hand. “Sheesh. Come on, let’s wrap your hand up.” he ordered, gesturing to the roof access door.

“Wait!...What about the next challenge?”

Shaking his head, Oz waved his hand dismissively,“Later, Toby. We gotta wrap that up.”

  
  
  



	7. Taking Things Further

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobias continues Oz's tests.

“... Do you feel alright, Toby? Does it sting?” Oz questioned as he stood by an open cabinet, sifting around a bin full of different first-aid items.

Tobias, sitting atop a counter next to the sink in Oz’s somewhat cramped bathroom, held his cut hand in the other, remaining quiet as he felt his palm buzz subtly. As Oz spoke to him, he glared over to his mentor with a thoughtful hum. “I guess I'm alright, but it doesn't sting...” he replied, “I’m mostly feeling worn out from the stuff we’ve been doing… honestly, it was, uh, kinda stressing me out.” 

Oz frowned as guilt began to inflate his chest, pulling out a roll of gauze wrap, cotton balls, and some disinfecting cream from the bin he was rummaging through. Setting the medical supplies next to Tobias on the counter, Oz sighed as if to deflate the guilt from his chest.

“Ah, that's good… Hey, I’m… sorry.” Oz apologized sheepishly, “You seemed really peeved during that last challenge, and-” 

“Oh no, no, Oz, it's really fine.” Tobias quickly replied.

“Huh?” Oz hummed.

“I just got a little steamed in the moment, I know you weren't trying to piss me off or anything. It’s just a simulation of the field, it's relentless.”

Oz hummed, “well, I still feel bad, especially since you got your hand cut. I want to be an effective mentor, but I don’t want you getting hurt in the process.” 

“Oh,” Tobias laughed gently, “Well, that's my own fault, I lashed out on that soda can. To be fair, though, it totally had it coming.”

Oz snickered at Tobias’s remark, “Let me see your hand,” he asked, holding his hand up, “Let’s get it wrapped up.”

Nodding, Tobias held out his injured hand and set it in Oz’s.

“... No, Toby, your cut hand.”

“Huh?”

“Give me the hand you cut!”

“What? I just di-” Looking down to the hand he had lent to Oz, shock struck through his body as he looked to his now-pristine palm. There was no longer a cut, or any buzzing, the only proof of there ever being a cut was some light blood stuck to his skin. 

Both Oz and Tobias looked to the palm in surprise, slowly looking up to each other with a similar confused expression.

Tobias blinked in confusion, “... uh… Oz, is this, uh… y’know…” 

“Yep.” Oz replied, letting go of Tobias’s hand with a knowing sigh, “It’s another Superhero Instinct quirk.”

Eyes widening, Tobias examined his previously-cut palm closely in wonder. “Woooaaah! Does this mean I'm, like, invincible?”

“Oh, No!” clarified Oz, “No, No, No, No. This is Minor Accelerated Healing, meaning things like cuts and bruises will heal faster than normal. We know minor cuts will heal on you, but that doesn't mean you can recover from a broken arm in a snap, er… no pun intended. I  _ would _ break your arm to test, but you can’t afford to break your arm right now.” he explained as he began to put the medical supplies away.

  
  


Tobias tensed up, holding his arm protectively, “please don't break my arm…” he requested in a small, fearful voice.

Oz snickered, shaking his head, “it’s a joke, Tobe.” he chuckled as he began to make his way out of the bathroom. “Come on, it’s time for the next test. You think you’re ready to go again?” he inquired as he stood at the frame of the bathroom door. 

“Absolutely.” Tobias replied with confidence, hopping off of the counter and onto his feet, “let’s go!”

…

  
  


Standing outside of the Oz Comix building, Tobias doddled around aimlessly like he had before, this time being more aware of his surroundings, slightly paranoid that Oz might surprise him again.

“Toby!”

In the midst of his slight paranoia, Tobias jumped with a pathetic yelp as he heard his name being called out, looking back and forth up and down the sidewalk to spot who called out for him. Seeing no one around, he looked up to the top of the Oz Comix building, locating Oz perched on the roof, looking down at him. 

“Ok Toby, are you ready for your next challenge?” Oz called down to Tobias.

“Yep!” Tobias called back, “what do I do?” 

“You’re gonna climb up the building!

Tobias winced slightly, looking the building up and down, “uh… are you sure I can’t just, uh… just… learn how to fly really quick?” 

“Hah!” Oz laughed, “Sorry, kid, that's now how The Superhero Instinct works!

Gulping, Tobias began to stretch a bit, readying himself for the climb he was about to make. He hopped in place a bit, huffing in anticipation, trying to hype himself up. “I don't know much about parkour,” Tobias called up to Oz, “But I'm willing to try anything once!”

With a small grunt, Tobias leaned forward and began to dash toward the building. Holding his breath, Tobias bent his legs and launched, jumping up towards the building. His arms outstretched, he grasped onto the lettering of the storefront’s sign as he made contact with it, holding onto it tightly as he secured his feet on the bottom ledge of the sign.

In and out, Tobias breathed hard, his heart beating fast, thankful he was able to hold onto the sign. After taking a moment to collect himself, Tobias turned his attention to the top of the building, thinking as he considered how exactly to proceed. Letting a moment pass, he grasped at the top of the sign’s lettering and began to climb upward, eventually reaching the windows above the sign.

Standing by the ledge of the roof, Oz watched, feeling impressed by his young ward as Tobias scaled the building toward him. Finally grasping the top ledge of the building, Tobias pulled himself up with a mighty pull, falling forward onto the roof with a goofy tumble. Swiftly standing up with a hop, Tobias sighed in relief, dusting himself off.

“I did it!” Tobias announced happily, voice breathy from his climb, “ok, now what?”

Oz pointed to the building to the left, “Now climb that one.”

Tobias looked between Oz and the other building he was tasked to climb. Sighing, feeling sort-of frustrated, he scanned the building for a spot to scale it. Spotting a nice-looking window, Tobias focused on it and dashed toward it, jumping and latching onto it. He looked up to the far ledge above him, being the only other place he could climb onto despite being slightly out of reach. Tobias felt he couldn't easily reach the ledge, but decided to give it a go. Bending, Tobias lunged up with all the strength he had, jumping up with a surprising amount of height, almost more than enough to reach the top ledge. Taking hold of it, he pulled himself up onto the roof, standing up with a sigh.

“Alright!” Tobias called down to Oz, “I made it! Now what?” 

“Look up at the roof of the Fanlair!” Oz replied.

Turning his head up to the Fanlair, he spotted Mitzy, still standing around on the roof. “Mitzy’s still up there!” Tobias said.

“Ok, so pretend the Fanlair is on fire, and Mitzy is, uh… Chum Chum! Or, whoever, I guess.”

The idea of his friend getting trapped on the roof while their home was on fire struck Tobias with a sense of genuine fear, although truncated by the absence of any real danger, or even Chum for that matter. 

“You gotta get to the roof and save him!” Oz instructed.

Tobias winced somewhat painfully, feeling the adrenaline pump in his body as the hypothetical desire to save his friend increased. He began to quickly walk to the other side of the roof, giving himself room to run. Breathing out hard, hyping himself up a bit, Tobias began to run across the roof, picking up a surprising amount of speed. Reaching the edge of the roof, he leaped, and felt himself slow down in the air.

Keeping his breathing steady and calm, Tobias kept his eyes locked on the edge of the building across from him as it came slowly closer to him. Closer, then closer, then closer, then higher, then higher. As he finally came close enough, he was only just able to reach the ledge; a close call.

  
  


Things moving at normal speed as he hung onto the side of the building, Tobias pulled himself up and stood on the roof with a stumble, he stared up at the Fanlair. Remembering it was theoretically on fire, he decided to scale the wall.

  
  


Eventually managing his way onto the roof of the Fanlair, Tobias began to look around for Mitzy. He spotted the goat, sitting near an opposite ledge to him. Dashing over to the animal, he swiftly scooped it up into his arms. Walking over to another ledge of the Fanlair, Tobias looked down to Oz. “Now what?” he yelled down, struggling as Mitzy wriggled in his arms. 

“What do you think? The building’s on fire and it's getting to the roof! Get him down safely!”

Nodding, Tobias gazed down to the roof below him. Holding the restless Mitzy under one of his arms, Tobias slid himself off of the roof, dangling off with one arm over the patio leading to the front door. Gulping, he let go, landing somewhat steadily on the patio below, with a slight wobble. He rushed away from the Fanlair, and began to climb down the side of the building below him, mostly sliding along it as he fell to the ground below, landing on his feet with a similar stability as before.

After setting foot on the Oz Comix roof, he sauntered up to Oz with a sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow with one arm as he held Mitzy out to him with his other hand. “Done.” he announced as Oz took the pet goat from him.

“Hm…” Oz scanned Mitzy, turning him around and rotating him in his hands as if checking for injuries. Nodding in satisfaction, Oz held Mitzy under his arm. “Alright,” Oz said, “You did well, young Tobias. Your body is in good standing for superhero duties, and you rescued Mitzy without getting him hurt. You're ready.”

Tobias lit up, “Awesome!” he exclaimed, bouncing a bit, but stopping soon after. “So… What does that mean for me? What do I do next?” 

“Well, now, I suppose, you’ll start building a repertoire of moves. You know, like, punches, kicks, gadgetry… Whatever you need to do to build up an arsenal. Get yourself home and get something put together, and report back to me and we’ll go from there.” Explained Oz as he began to walk to the roof access door. Stopping in front of the door, he turned back to Tobias, noticing that he wasn’t following behind. “You coming?” he asked as he raised an eyebrow to the young man.

Tobias, looking between Oz and the Fanlair perched on the building to his right, eventually shook his head. “No, I… I don't think I'll take the door today.” he answered as he began to dash over to the building to his left, scaling it as he had done before. 

“Oh! Well… Toby, you don't always have to be-”

“Aaaashushushushuuuuush, Oz!” Tobias hushed Oz as he made his way up the side of the building, standing at the edge and looking down to his mentor, “I wanna go home this way, it was kinda fun. Plus, I feel like I should try this jump again, I feel like I could have gone higher than I did.”

Oz simply shrugged as Tobias began to back up, reading for a leap. “Suit yourself, man, just don't get hurt too bad, I’m not ready to find out the extent of your accelerated healing ability.” he said as he opened the roof access door, closing it behind him as he began to walk back down to his place with Mitzy. 

  
  


…

  
  


“Ok, Ok, Ok… So, Chum. Here’s what I’m wanting to do.” 

Tobias stood in front of a wall in the Fanlair with some blue print papers taped up to it, all with different words and scribblings on them. Across from him was his laptop set atop a barstool, with Chum on a video call. He sat there with an expression of slight interest, also gazing down and monetarily writing something down in a notebook. “Lay it on me, man.” Chum encouraged, “I'm paying attention, I promise, I just have to get these notes done.”

“You're gonna want to take notes on this too, Chum, cause if you wanna be my sidekick, you’ll have to coordinate with me!” said Tobias as he turned back to his blueprints, looking between each illustration.

Chum snickered at his excited friend, “I’ll pay attention, I promise.”

Alright!” Tobias said with a clap, gesturing to a drawing on his paper which resembled his insignia, with sharp edges in some places. “These are my-… uh… well, they don't have an official name yet, but they're kinda like those ninja throwing stars, except they track you down.”

“Oooh, fancy.” Chum cooed, giving Tobias a nod, “those could come in handy!”

Tobias then pointed to a fancy-looking grappling hook, “and a grappling hook, of course…” then to some kind of handcuff device, “Some cool signature handcuffs for restraining villains, i'm still looking into how to make them superpower-proof...” then to a net with weights at the end, “a projectile net to catch perps who try to run…” then to a plain-looking yo-yo, “and a yo-yo!”

Chum raised an eyebrow to the last gadget. “... why a yo-yo?” 

Humming, Tobias shrugged. “If I get bored. Also, I couldn't think of anything else, haha… I'm sure I will eventually!” he replied simply. “Anyways,” he continued, “all this gadgetry is going to be contained in this.” 

The superfan pointed to a central illustration in dramatic fashion; a utility belt. “Isn't it sweet?” he asked in excitement.

“It’s real spiffy, Toby! You're gonna make all this stuff by yourself?” he asked unsurely.

“Yup!” answered Tobias confidently, giving his arms a cocky cross, “Oz says all the best heroes are self-made men. And hey, I made, like, about a C in highschool engineering and metal shop class, and that's the highest grade I've ever gotten in anything! Sure, it’ll take me a couple tries to get it just right, but what could go wrong?”

Chum could only give his long-time friend a weak smile in response to his dubious confidence. “Well… I know you're serious about all this. If you fail once or twice, I know you’ll be determined to get it right. Just… be careful, alright?” 

“Careful? Psh… oh sweet, sweet Chumtholimule, always caring, always concerned. This is why you're my first choice for sidekick… and cause you're, y’know, my best friend ever. A guy like you can keep me out of trouble.”

“Yeah, I'll just keep you on a leash with my own grappling hook.” joked Chum with a snicker, “Sorry to cut you short, Tobe, but I've got an early class tomorrow and I wanna be rested up.” 

“That's fine, we can call later. Maybe then I'll have some fighting moves ready to show you.” 

“I wouldn't wanna miss that!... Oh hey, Toby? Before I go, I have a question.” 

“Oh?” inquired the superfan.

“It's about that Superhero Instinct thing you told me about. Can you tell me about when you first felt it?”

“Oh, yeah! It was when I was chasing the purse thief. I can remember starting to chase after him, and feeling really different. Like, uh, energized? You know, when you get an adrenaline rush. It wouldn't have been so weird if it weren't for the fact that the feeling didn't really stop after I went home. I just felt like a whole new man that day.”

“Like a  _ Fanman _ ?” Chum punned.

Tobias snickered, “Yeah, like a Fanman.”

Chum nodded as he listened to his pal’s explanation, “Why do you think it kicked in when it did?”

“It probably had something to do with me actually going and doing something heroic. Like, it, uh… it knew it was time? Something weird and spiritual like that.” Tobias theorized with a hum.

“... Do you think... it’ll happen to me?” asked the shorter companion with shyness in his voice. 

Tobias gasped, “Oh yeah! That would be so cool if you could too! Hey, maybe you should try and do something heroic too!”

Chum gulped, suddenly feeling a strike of doubt in his chest, “I don't know, Toby… what if it doesn't kick in and I can't defend myself?” 

“Well you won't know unless you try!!!” Tobias replied in a somewhat enthused tone, “C’mon, try it for your old pal! Do it for Tobyyyy, for Tobe, for ole Fanboooy!”

Laughing gently, Chum shook his head with a sigh, “Oh,  _ fine…  _ if I see an opportunity, I'll see what I can do.” 

“Atta boy, Chum Chum. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Night, Toby!”

As his long time pal hung up the call, Tobias closed his laptop and turned back to the blueprints he had taped to the wall, examining them and contemplating. He smiled as he thought about fighting crime alongside Chum, his long time friend, someone who he could trust without a doubt. He was confident that they were gonna shake things up as a team. “Those ne'er-do-wells won't know what hit ‘em.” he assured himself. 


End file.
